40+ Python String Methods Explained | List, Syntax & Code Examples

13 mins read

Strings are one of the most fundamental ways to handle text in Python. From storing names and email addresses to processing entire books, strings are everywhere in the programming world. But working with strings isn't just about storing or printing them. Python gives us a powerful toolkit called string methods that can transform, analyze, or polish strings to perfection. 

In this article, we will discuss the Python string methods, what they are, and why we use them. We will also provide a list of the string methods, categorizing them by their use cases and showing how they can simplify real-world tasks.

What Are Strings In Python?

A string in Python is a sequence of characters enclosed in quotes. You can use either single quotes ('), double quotes ("), or triple quotes (''' or """) for defining strings. Strings are immutable, meaning their content can’t be changed after creation. However, Python provides several methods to manipulate them effectively without altering the original string.

For more information on strings, check out Python Strings | Create, Format, Reassign & More (+Examples)

What Are Python String Methods?

String methods refer to built-in functions in Python designed to work specifically with strings. Think of them as tools in a Swiss Army knife—each one is tailored to handle a specific operation, such as transforming text to uppercase, trimming unwanted spaces, or checking whether a string contains only numbers.

The Python string methods are important because they:

• Make string manipulation simple and intuitive.
• Save time and effort by eliminating the need to write complex code for common tasks.
• Help improve code readability, making it easier to understand and maintain.

Whether you're building a chatbot, processing data, or just formatting a title for your blog post, string methods are your go-to companions for clean and efficient code.

List Of Python String Methods For Manipulating Case

When working with text, you often need to standardize capitalization—for example, converting user input to lowercase or formatting titles. Python programming offers several methods to manipulate the case of strings, as listed in the table below.

Let’s look at a simple Python program example, which illustrates the use of two of the most common case manipulation methods.

Code Example:

#Creating a string
text = "python string methods"

#Using upper() to convert string to caps
print(text.upper())  # Output: PYTHON STRING METHODS

#Using title() to convert string to title case
print(text.title())  # Output: Python String Methods

Code Explanation:

In the simple Python code example:

• We first create a string named text, containing the value “python string method” (all small cases).
• Then, we call the method upper() to convert the entire string to uppercase (i.e., text.upper()), making it useful for standardizing text input like usernames.
• Similarly, we call the title() Python string method to apply the title case. It capitalizes the first letter of each word, often used for formatting headlines or titles.
• We use the print() function to call the methods and display the strings to the console.

List Of Python String Methods For Searching & Finding

There will be instances when you may need to locate or search for specific content within a string. Listed in the table below are the various methods that Python language provides to help you find substrings, indices, or patterns.

The basic Python program example below illustrates how to use two of the most common finding functions.

Code Example:

#Creating a string variable
text = "Unstop helps you learn, practice, and compete"

#Using find() to find the index position of the substring
print(text.find("learn")) # Output: 12

#Using count() to get the frequency of a character
print(text.count("e"))  # Output: 7

Code Explanation:

In the basic Python code example:

• We create a string variable named text, containing the value “Unstop helps you learn, practice, and compete"
• Then, we call the find() Python string method on text, passing the string “learn” as an argument. The function searches for the substring and returns the starting index of its first occurrence.
• Similarly, we call the count() Python string method on text, passing the character “e” as an argument. It counts and returns the number of times the letter "e" appears in the string.

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List Of Python String Methods For Modifying & Transforming

Python provides methods for removing unwanted characters, replacing text, and more, as well as cleaning up or modifying strings. We have listed the Python string methods used for this purpose in the table below.

The Python program example below illustrates the use of the zfill() and the strip() Python string methods. 

Code Example:

#Creating a string with whitespaces
text = "   Python   "

#Using strip() to remove whitespaces
cleaned = text.strip()
#Using zfill() to pad left space
padded = cleaned.zfill(12)

print(cleaned) # Output: "Python"
print(padded)  # Output: "0000Python"

Code Explanation:

In the Python code example:

• We have a string object containing a string with whitespaces both on the left and the right sides.
• Then, we use the strip() Python string operation to remove the extra spaces around "Python", leaving the core text.
• Similarly, we use the zfill() Python string method, passing 12 as an argument. It pads the string with zeros on the left to ensure it has a total width of 12 characters.

List Of Python String Methods For Checking Conditions

These methods are used to check specific properties of a string, such as whether it's numeric, alphabetic, uppercase, etc. They are essential for validating or filtering data based on certain criteria.

We have illustrated the use of three of these functions in the example Python program below.

Code Example:

#String with number and title case
text = "Python3"

#Using Python string methods to check for uppercase, space and alphanumerics
print(text.isalnum())   # Output: True
print(text.isupper())   # Output: False
print(text.isspace())   # Output: False

Code Explanation:

In the example Python code:

• We begin with an object text, containing string value “Python3”.
• Then, we use the isalnum() to check if the string contains only letters and numbers.
• Similarly, the Python string function isupper() checks if the string has all uppercase letters.
• Finally, the Python string function isspace() checks if the string is made up entirely of whitespace characters.
• We call all the Python string methods inside the print() function in Python so as to directly print the outcome to the console.

List Of Python String Methods For Encoding & Decoding

When working with different character sets or preparing strings for transmission over networks, encoding and decoding become crucial. Python provides methods to handle these operations effectively.

Look at the sample Python program below, which illustrates how these Python string functions work.

Code Example:

#Creating a string
text = "Python is fun!"

#Using encode() and decode()
encoded_text = text.encode() # Default is UTF-8
decoded_text = encoded_text.decode()

print(encoded_text) # Output: b'Python is fun!'
print(decoded_text) # Output: Python is fun!

Code Explanation:

In the sample Python code:

• We use the encode() string built-in function in Python to convert the string "Python is fun!" into a byte string. The default UTF-8 encoding is essential for file I/O and web communication.
• Then, we use the Python string function decode(), which converts the encoded byte string back to a regular string, allowing us to work with the original text again.

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List Of Python String Methods For Stripping & Trimming

When dealing with strings, it’s common to encounter extra whitespace or unwanted characters that need to be removed. There is a suite of string built-in functions in Python libraries designed specifically for this task.

We have illustrated how to use these string methods in the Python program sample below.

Code Example:

#String with whitespace
text = "   Hello, World!   "

print(text.strip())  # Output: "Hello, World!"
print(text.lstrip()) # Output: "Hello, World!   "
print(text.rstrip())  # Output: "   Hello, World!"

Code Explanation:

In the Python code sample:

• We create a variable text and assign a string value with whitespaces.
• The, we call the strip() Python string method to remove both leading and trailing spaces from the string, cleaning up unnecessary padding. 
• Similarly, the lstrip() and rstrip() Python string functions allow us to remove spaces only from the left or right side, respectively.
• The outcome of the first two operations is the “Hello, World!” string without any spaces.

List Of Python String Methods For Formatting

Formatting strings is a common task, especially when you need to present data in a specific structure or pattern. Python provides several methods to make string formatting flexible and efficient.

Code Example:

name = "Shivani"

#Using the string.format() method
greeting = "Hello, {}!".format(name)

#Using the f-stirng method
formatted_greeting = f"Hello, {name}!"

print(greeting)            # Output: Hello, Shivani!
print(formatted_greeting)  # Output: Hello, Shivani!

Code Explanation:

• We begin with a string object containing the value– “Shivani”.
• Then, we use the format() Python string function that allows us to place variables within the string using curly braces {} and is more flexible for inserting multiple variables.
• Next, we use the f-string method in Python, which is a shorthand for string formatting. Introduced in Python 3.6, making the code cleaner and easier to read.
• The outcome of both the Python string methods is the same.

Miscellaneous Python String Methods

This section will include Python string methods that don’t fall directly under other categories but are still valuable for various string manipulations.

List Of Other Python String Operations

This section covers common string operations that don't necessarily qualify as methods but are widely used in Python for manipulating and working with strings.

Code Example:

text = " Hello, World! "

# Slicing
print(text[1:5])  # Output: "Hell"

# Replacing
print(text.replace("World", "Universe"))  # Output: " Hello, Universe! "

# Finding
print(text.find("World")) # Output: 7

Code Explanation:

• Slicing lets you extract a part of the string using a range of indices.
• The replace() Python string method modifies the string by replacing one substring with another.
• The find() function searches for a substring and returns its index, or -1 if not found.

Conclusion

In this article, we’ve explored a wide variety of Python string methods and operations that are essential for manipulating and working with strings. From checking conditions like whether a string is numeric or uppercase, to formatting and slicing strings, Python provides a rich set of tools for every string-related task.

Whether you're a beginner or an experienced developer, understanding these methods and operations will significantly enhance your ability to work with text and string data in Python. With the comprehensive list of string methods we've covered, you'll be well-equipped to handle string manipulation for various applications—from data processing to text analysis.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Q1. What is the difference between find() and index() in Python?

Both find() and index() functions are used to search for a substring in a string. However, find() returns -1 if the substring is not found, while index() raises a ValueError in the same case.

Q2. How can I concatenate strings in Python?

You can concatenate strings using the + operator or by using the join() method for more efficient concatenation, especially when joining a list of strings.

Q3. How do I check if a string is empty in Python?

You can check if a string is empty using the len() function to find the length and the equality relational operator to check if it is zero, i.e., len(string) == 0. Alternatively, you can simply if not string: to test its truth value.

Q4. What is the use of strip() method in Python?

The strip() method is used to remove any leading and trailing spaces or specified characters from a string.

Q5. How do I format strings in Python?

String formatting in Python can be done using methods like format(), f-strings (available from Python 3.6), or older % formatting. Each method has its use case, but f-strings are generally preferred for their simplicity and readability.

Mastered Python String Methods? Take A Quiz!

Keep experimenting with these Python string methods, and you'll find that string handling is both powerful and versatile. You might also enjoy reading:

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